The Case of the Horrified Heirs

CHAPTER NINE

It was shortly after noon when Virginia reached Perry Mason's office.

Gertie, the receptionist, said, «Hello, Miss Baxter, they're expecting you, but I'd better give them a buzz and let them know you're here.»

Gertie buzzed the phone, and a moment later Della Street came out and said, «Right this way, Virginia. We have some news for you.»

Virginia followed Della Street into Mason's private office to find the lawyer frowning thoughtfully, «We've traced your mysterious visitor, Virginia,» Mason said. «The one who gave you the name of George Menard. \Ve traced him through his parking at the fireplug. We went through all the parking tickets issued by the officer who patrols that district. There were three fireplug parking tickets. One of them was for a license number ODT 062. That car is registered to a man whose description is very similar to that of the man who called on you.»

«Who is he?»

«His real name is George Eagan, and he is employed as a chauffeur for Lauretta Trent. So we did a little checking and-«

«Lauretta Trent?» Virginia exclaimed.

«You know her?» Mason asked.

«Why, we did some legal work for her and-Why, yes, I'm quite certain we made at least one will for her. I have rather a vague memory that it was an unusual will. The relatives were given rather small amounts, all things considered, and there was an outsider who got the bulk of the estate. It may have been a nurse-or a doctor. Heavens! It could have been the chauffeur!»

Mason said, «We've found out some rather interesting things.»

«About the chauffeur?»

«About Lauretta Trent. She has recently had three attacks of so-called food poisoning. The hospital records describe them as gastroenteric upsets.»

Virginia said, «I've got all the old copies of wills locked in my car down in the parking lot, Mr. Mason, if it would help any…»

«It will help a lot,» Mason said. «I'm going to introduce you to Paul Drake, our detective. He handles all our investigative work; he's head of the Drake Detective Agency, which is on this floor-Give him a ring, will you please, Della?»

Della Street asked Gertie for an outside line. Her fingers flew over the dial. After a moment, she said, «Paul, Della. Perry would like to have you come to the office right away, if you can.»

Della smiled and hung up. «He'll be here within a matter of seconds.»

And it was only a matter of seconds before Paul Drake's code knock sounded on the door.

Della opened the door and let him in.

«Paul,» Mason said, «this is Virginia Baxter. You probably don't know it but she's the client whom I've been representing and is the reason you have been doing this investigative work.»

«I see,» Drake said, smiling at Virginia. «Pleased to meet you, Miss Baxter.»

Mason said, «She has some papers locked in her car down in the parking lot. Could you help her bring them up?»

«How heavy?» Drake asked. «Do I need anyone to help me?»

«Oh, no,» she said, «it's a bundle of papers probably twenty inches thick. But one man can lift them.»

«Let's go,» Drake said.

«There's one more thing I wanted to tell you, Mr. Mason,» Virginia said. «While I was away from Julian Bannock's ranch, or farm, or whatever you call it, and telephoning you and getting ready to go back and get those papers, this man showed up at the ranch.»

«What man?»

«The one who called on me. Eagan, you say he is, the chauffeur for Mrs. Trent.»

«And what did he want?»

«He wanted to look at some of the old files of Delano Bannock. Julian-that's the brother-told him to wait, that I was going to be back there within a few minutes.»

«And what happened?»

«The man jumped in his car and drove off, going fast.»

«I see,» Mason said, and nodded to Drake. «Let's get those papers, Paul.»

Drake accompanied Virginia to the parking lot. She unlocked her car. Drake picked up the files in the card- board carton, hoisted the carton to his shoulder and they returned to Mason's office.

Mason said, «Let's look at the file listed under 'T' and see what you have. Let's see, you have 'T-1,' 'T-2,' 'T-3,' 'T-4,' 'T-5'; just what do those mean?»

«That's the way I kept the wills under 'T.' 'T-1' would be the first five letters of the alphabet. In other words, 'TA,' 'T-B,' 'T-C,' 'T-D,' 'T-E'; then, 'T-2' would be the next five letters.»

«I see,» Mason said. «Well, let's look under the 'T-4' and see if we can find any papers relating to Lauretta Trent.»

Mason spread the files out on the desk and Mason, Della Street, Paul Drake and Virginia Baxter started rapidly going through the files.

«Well,» Mason said, after a few minutes' search, «apparently we have a lot of copies of wills here, but no copy of a will made for Lauretta Trent.»

«But we did her work, we made at least one will for her,» Virginia said.

«And,» Mason said, «George Eagan was making inquiries as to the location of the carbon copies of Delano Bannock's files, and George Eagan is Lauretta Trent's chauffeur.»

Mason turned to Paul Drake, «What hospital was Lauretta Trent in when she had her so-called digestive upsets?»

«Phillips Memorial Hospital,» Drake said.

Mason nodded to the phone, «Get them on the line, please, Della.»

Della Street asked for an outside line, got a number and whirled the dial. A moment later she nodded to Mason.

Mason picked up the phone, «Phillips Memorial Hospital?» he asked.

«Yes.»

«This is Perry Mason, the attorney,» the lawyer said. «I would like to get some information on one of your patients.»

«I'm sorry we can't give information about our patients.»

«Well, this is just a routine matter of record,» Mason said casually. «The patient is Lauretta Trent. You had her in the hospital on three occasions within the last several months and all I'm interested in is finding out the name of her physician.»

«Just a moment, we can give you that information.»

«I'll hold the phone, if I may,» Mason said.

A moment later the voice said, «The physician was Dr. Ferris Alton. He's in the Randwell Building.»

«Thank you,» Mason said.

The lawyer hung up, turned to Della Street, «Let's see if we can get Dr. Alton's nurse.»

«His nurse?»

«Yes,» Mason said, «I'd like to talk with Dr. Alton, but I think I'll have to speak with his nurse, personally, before we can get him on the line. After all, this is probably the beginning of a busy afternoon for a doctor. He probably sees a lot of office patients in the afternoon, does operating in the morning and makes hospital visits after that.»

Della Street got the number; asked Gertie in the outer office for an outside line, dialed the number and again nodded to Perry Mason.

Mason picked up the telephone, said, «How do you do? This is Perry Mason, an attorney. I know that Dr. Alton is very busy and that this is just before the busiest time of the afternoon, but it is quite important that I speak with him briefly concerning a matter which may affect a patient of his.»

«_Perry_ Mason, the lawyer?» the feminine voice asked.

«That's right.»

«Oh, I'm quite sure he'd want to talk with you personally. He's busy at the moment, but I'll interrupt him and-Can you hang on to the line for a few moments?»

«I'll be glad to,» Mason said.

There was a period of silence. Then a tired, slightly impatient voice said, «Yes, this is Dr. Ferris Alton talking.»

«Perry Mason, the attorney,» the lawyer told him. «I wanted to ask you a few questions about a patient of yours.»

«What sort of questions, and who is the patient?»

«Lauretta Trent,» Mason said. «You've had her hospi~ talized several times within the last few months.»

«Well?» Dr. Alton asked, and this time the note of impatience was quite apparent in his voice.

«Can you tell me the nature of the malady?»

«I can not!» Dr. Alton snapped.

«Very well, then,» Mason said. «I can perhaps tell you something which will be of interest. I have reason to believe that Lauretta Trent made a will; that this will was executed in the office of an attorney by the name of Delano Bannock; that the attorney is now deceased; that persons are interested in surreptitiously obtaining a copy of that will; that some of the persons associated with Lauretta Trent may be taking an active interest in a search of this kind.

«Now then, I am asking you this. Are you completely satisfied with your diagnosis in the case of Lauretta Trent?»

«Certainly. Otherwise I wouldn't have discharged her.»

«I understand, generally,» Mason said, «that she had a gastroenteric disturbance.»

«Well, what of it?»

«And,» Mason said, «I have before me several of the authorities on forensic medicine and toxicology. I find that it is generally agreed that cases of arsenic poisoning are seldom diagnosed by the attending physician, since the symptoms are those of a gastroenteric disturbance.

«You're crazy,» Dr. Alton said.

«Therefore,» Mason went on, «I think you will understand my position when I ask you if there were abdominal cramps, cramps in the calves of the legs, a burning sensation in the stomach and-«

«Good God!» Dr. Alton interrupted.

Mason ceased talking, waiting for the doctor to say something.

There was a long period of silence over the phone.

«No one would possibly want to poison Lauretta Trent,» Dr. Alton said.

«How do you know?» Mason asked.

There was another period of silence.

«What's your interest in this matter?» Dr. Alton asked at length.

«My interest is purely incidental,» Mason said. «I can assure you that while I am representing a client, that client has no interests adverse to those of Lauretta Trent and there is no reason why you could not make any statement to me that you can make without disclosing a privileged professional confidence.»

Dr. Alton said, «You've given me something to think about, all right, Mason. Her symptoms had a great deal in common with those of arsenic poisoning. You're so right, physicians who are called in on cases of this sort almost never suspect the possibilities of homicidal poisoning. The cases are almost invariably given a diagnosis of enteric disturbance.»

«That,» the lawyer told him, «is why I'm calling you.»

«Do you have some suggestions?» Dr. Alton asked.

«Yes,» Mason said. «I would suggest that you get a sample of her hair pulled out by the roots, if possible. And, if possible, some cuttings of the fingernails. Let's have them analyzed for arsenic and see if we get a positive reaction.

«In the meantime, I would suggest that you try not to alarm your patient, but take steps to see that she is put upon a restricted diet which is enforced by special roundthe-clock nurses-in other words, a rigid dietary supervision.

«I take it the patient is in such a financial position that the expense can be justified?»

«Of course,» Dr. Alton said. «… My Lord, she has a heart condition which can't stand too many of these upsets. I warned her, the last one. I thought it was dietary indiscretion. She has a weakness for highly spiced Mexican food with considerable garlic-That would be almost a perfect disguise for a dose of arsenic-Mason, how long are you going to be in your office?»

«I'll be here all afternoon,» Mason said, «and if you need me after office hours, you can get me through the Drake Detective Agency. Ask for Paul Drake. The offices are in the same building where I have my offices and are on the same floor.»

«You'll be hearing from me,» Dr. Alton said. «In the meantime, I'm going to make arrangements right away to insure that nothing else questionable will happen.»

«Please bear in mind that we must try to keep from making any accusations or any statements which will alarm your patient until we're certain,» Mason said.

«I understand, I understand,» Alton said sharply. «Damn it, Mason, I've been practicing medicine for thirtyfive years-My God, man, you've given me a jolt… Classic symptoms of arsenic poisoning and I never suspected a thing-you'll be hearing from me. Goodbye.»

The connection was sharply terminated.

Mason said to Virginia, «I don't like to restrict your liberties, Virginia, but I want you to be where I can reach you. Go to your apartment and stay there. Report every single thing out of the ordinary. I'll have my phone so you can get to me at any time.»

Drake frowned and said, «But they couldn't prove a will by using a copy, could they, Perry?»

«Under certain limited circumstances, yes,» Mason said. «If a will is missing, the general presumption is that it was destroyed by the testator, which is equivalent to a revocation. But if, for instance, a house should catch on fire and the testator should perish in the flames, it would be generally presumed that the will was burned up at the same time and, if there could be proof that it was still in effect at the time of the fire and the testator's death, then the contents could be established by secondary evidence.

«However, that's not what I'm thinking of.»

«What are you thinking of?» Drake asked.

Mason glanced at Virginia and shook his head. «I'm not prepared to say at the moment.

«Virginia, I want you to go on home. You may receive a call from this man you now know is George Eagan, Lauretta Trent's chauffeur.

«You'll remember this man told you he was George Menard.

«Now, if he calls on you, be very careful not to let on that you know who he really is. Be naive, gullible and perhaps a little greedy. If he acts as if he wanted to make you any sort of a proposition, let him feel you are willing to listen. Then stall for time.

«Call me--or if I'm not available, Paul Drake-as soon as you can get to a phone. Let us know what the man wants.»

«I'm to let him think I'm willing to play along?»

«That's right. And if you are asked to do any typing, use new carbons with each sheet of paper.»

«It won't be dangerous?»

«I don't think so at the moment. Not if you don't let on you know who lie really is, and if you manage to stall him long enough to get to a phone. Later on we may have to take precautions.»

«All right,» she promised, «I'll try.»

«Good girl,» Mason said. «Go on home now and phone me if anything happens.»

Her laugh was nervous. «Don't worry,» she said, «the very first thing that occurs out of the ordinary, I'm going to dash to a telephone.»

«That's right,» Mason told her. «Get Paul Drake on the line if you can't get me. His office is open twenty-four hours a day.»

Della Street held the exit door open for her.

«Just be careful,» Mason warned, «not to let this chauffeur know that you have any idea who he is. Be naive, but let him feel that if he has any proposition to make you could be tempted.»

Virginia Baxter flashed him a smile and left the office.

Della Street gently closed the door.

«You think this chauffeur is going to be back?» Drake asked.

«If he didn't get what he wanted,» Mason said, «he'll be back. We have two people looking for a paper, and since the paper that we think they're looking for doesn't seem to be in the files, the probabilities are that one of them has already found it. Therefore, the other will be back.»

«Just how significant is all of this?» Drake asked.

«I'll tell you,» Mason said, «when we get the samples of hair and fingernails from Lauretta Trent. A person can't rely on a copy of the will unless two things have happened.»

«What two things?» Drake asked.

«First, the original will is missing. Second, the person who executed it is dead.»

«You think it's that serious?» Drake asked.

«I think it's that serious,» Mason said, «but my hands are tied until we get a check on that arsenic factor.

«Go back to your office, Paul, alert your telephone operator and have things in readiness so that you can have a man out at Virginia Baxter's place at a moment's notice.»